


Darkness and Water

by VulpusTumultum



Series: The Tevinter's Templar [6]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 22:25:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3626544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpusTumultum/pseuds/VulpusTumultum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mishap in a ruin takes Dorian and Lyos Lavellan away from the rest of their party, and very nearly takes Lyos away from Dorian permanently.</p><p>(Doesn't really fit anywhere specific into Tevinter's Templar Timeline at the moment just a drabblething)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Almost Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'explicitness' in this fic is pretty minor, but I just have no idea really when to just lower the rating to "M" as such.

“ _Idiot, how are you still holding onto your shield-”_

“ _I swear if you do not wake up-”_

“ _-your corpse just so I can pretend-”_

“ _-yell at you properly-”_

_The voice dragged at the elven warrior, pulling him out of a rushing, loud darkness, his ears finally stopping their ringing. Hands, arms, on his back or under his chest but he kept falling again, and his lungs burned._

 

Lyos hazily did wake up, coughing up water, and felt the sudden eruption of pain now that his brain was catching up with messages from his various senses, like how he was lying facedown on a lot of very uncomfortable wet rocks. He started to push himself up, only to wind up coughing up more water. While Dorian wasn't going to drag him anywhere, the mage at least did quickly catch and give him some support for that venture. There was the sound of nearby water against more rock, and the space they were in was only lit by a summoned wisp.

“Your habit of falling down and out of various types of chasms is more than a little absurd, Herald,” the human mage sounded tightly furious, “Though at least this time no actually winding up in the Fade.”

Lyos tried to reassemble where they were and what had happened- fortunately there wasn't really a lot of blank spaces in his mind from this misadventure, once he regained some concentration. Another of the old dwarven outposts along the Storm Coast, dealing with darkspawn and then also a rift that had opened in it.

The rather large pride demon, and a fight uncomfortably close to the edge of a chasm, and as it fell into death throes, unstable ground giving way-

Not really a long fall, by fall standards, and the water had been deep, though not still, there'd been a lot of rocks in it to get slammed against. And of course, he'd been weighted down until he'd managed to just cut leather straps with his dagger- and Dorian had fallen into that seething cauldron too-

“Dorian, are you hurt?” Complaining lungs made it hard to ask the sudden, worried question.

“Bruised. Apparently not so nearly drowned, but then, I don't wear heavy plate.”

“Did you notice if anyone else-”

“Everyone else managed to not fall, _this_ time.”

Lyos got himself the rest of the way up- Dorian  _not_ helping, and swayed a bit, taking a painful breath, lungs still aching, “And I didn't even get that rift closed-We need to find a way back.”

“You nearly drown in an underground river, wake up in an unknown cavern, can barely stand upright, and you.. you just- sound as if it is business as usual other than a minor setback. You are mad, or possibly concussed. Maybe both.  _Sit_ . At least until your breathing doesn't sound so bad.”

The warrior sat- there wasn't much else he felt he could do, not with Dorian being as furious as- ah, not just furious, afraid, the anger was because the mage hated having been scared, especially about or by him-

“I am fine. Really, Dorian-”he tried to be as reassuring as possible, though his lover was right. Lyos still felt like his lungs were on fire, he _was_ covered in bruises, possibly had a cracked rib, and even some gashes from sharper rocks- though one cut on his leg more likely from his own dagger as he'd struggled to get out of his armor fast enough.

“You almost weren't. The amount of water you-” the Tevinter stopped suddenly, then tried to recover with sarcasm, “A rather inglorious end for the Herald, drowning because of some crumbled stonework  _after_ the demon's been killed.”

Lyos knew that saying something like ' _we both know either of us could die any time we are out'_ wouldn't help. For that matter, he knew if their roles had somehow been reversed, even just based on how the other man was reacting, he'd not be in a much better state.

“We both washed up here, at least-” he saw the mage's expression, “...or you pulled me out?”

“Letting you just float past was hardly an option, but if you continue to be difficult, I may throw you back in.”

Dorian still had  _his_ potions, at least, and now that Lyos was upright, and able to breathe a bit more regularly without it becoming a deep cough, the mage handed him one, which he meekly and gratefully accepted, and when the mage sat beside him, he leaned into him a little, while the regeneration elixir did its job slowly. Dorian muttered a curse in Arcanum, and cast a spell, a glowing fire rune appearing on the stone floor a bit in front of the boulder they sat on, casting a bit more light, but also more importantly, radiating some heat while it lasted, with less effort than full flames on rock.

There was a dark passage- one so narrow that they'd have to go sideways through it, leading off from the rocky 'beach' they were on, the water rushing past only a few feet away. There was an overhang of rock above them- higher water had once gouged this hollow out- but.. past it was darkness going up.

“I wonder if there is a ledge up there that leads back-”

“If you try climbing those cliffs any time soon I will find a means to tie you up,” Dorian managed to sound almost conversational. “If you give me time now that it is clear we are both alive, I may be able to convince some spirits to try exploring upwards on our behalf, or even to try and find the others, who I'm certain are quite fine.Even if you did not seal the rift, that seemed to be one of those final waves that occur before it will stabilize for a time. They should have had opportunity to get away before more demons came out of it.”

 “Cole and Varric are resourceful- well, Varric is, and spirits I summon might be quite happy to stay on task and find Cole. Also, in case you've forgotten, both Cassanda and Solas were helping the scouts at the last camp. If nothing else, he will find a way to locate us- so that he can be smug about it later- and she can efficiently murder anything getting in their way.”

He glared at Lyos again, “You've lost your armor, and your weapons, we're not wandering around in an area where we have been fighting darkspawn until it seems our only option.”

Lyos flushed, he had been-  _was_ a Dalish scout- of course you first assessed whether your fellow scouts or clan might find you before going wandering off. “Your points are made, love. I-”

“You are used to taking charge, taking care of everything and everyone, unless you are back at Skyhold, with Cullen threatening to cancel your chess games or Josephine threatening to bury you in diplomatic paperwork, _I am aware_ . If you're no longer coughing, perhaps you should lie down and try resting.”

There was no way Lyos was even going to  _try_ and argue. He found a relatively clear spot near that fire rune, and while there was no way to even really  _try_ for something resembling comfort, he did fall back into at least a doze, while the mage got down to his business.

 

 


	2. Still Together

Lyos woke quickly, but the movement that had disturbed him was just Dorian pacing- the mage had removed the upper portion of his light armor, which was neatly draped to dry over a rock. The elf sat up, blinking- there was still a fire rune giving off some light and heat- maybe a bit differently positioned than the earlier one, but no wisp.

Dorian glanced over at the movement, “I sent a few minor spirits off to try and find Cole- whether or not they will, before they use up the energy I gave them, or my instructions wear off, I don't know- but it  _is_ a start,” his voice held the irritated tone that Lyos recognized as meaning he was exhausted and worried but didn't want to show it.

“Dorian, if you've mana enough, set up a ward or alarm by that passage, and then get over here. If you haven't enough energy for that, get over here anyway, and I'll take watch. I've rested.”

“I already have set a ward, I wasn't  _that_ drained, but I am far too restless to sleep.”

 

Lyos shook his head, and rose, catching Dorian by the arm in mid-pace. “My turn to fuss over you again. Do I twist your arm, or will you come back to the slightly more flat, slightly warmer spot that is nicely cleared of most random little stones quietly?”

Dorian gave a dramatic bow, “Far be it from me to disobey my Inquisitor,” and Lyos snorted, and used the extended motion to toss Dorian off balance and heave him up into a carry, even if it was only six strides back to that clear area. The mage bit back a surprised yelp, and managed a maybe slightly breathless complaint of, “That was  _uncalled for_ .”

“Dealing with you often seems to call for the uncalled for eventually-” Lyos lowered the mage down and settled beside him, swiftly pulling him close and holding him there as he shifted to lay, so that he was Dorian's pillow.

“And the reason for your continuing to manhandle me?” sounded almost genuinely irritated, though the mage was hardly struggling against it beyond a single weak pretense squirm.

“So you can't say I forced you to sleep on stone once we're out of here and you have an audience for real complaints,” despite their situation- or perhaps because of it, Lyos couldn't help but chuckle, and add after sliding fingers through dark hair, “Also because it's enjoyable to manhandle you.”

“You... clearly you went too long with out breath, or hit your head after all-” but when Lyos pulled Dorian up and kissed him, the mage not only returned it, but squirmed to press in, and get his hands under the warrior's shirt.

Lyos muttered something, and sat up suddenly, though he kept an arm on Dorian so he didn't get tossed by the sudden movement, and then started to tug his shirt off completely.  _I almost left him- and he may not be telling me how close he may have come-_

The fire rune burned itself out, but neither of them cared, finding fastenings in the pitch blackness and the discarded pants and shirt at least giving a sort of relief from rock or dirt here and there. Lyos swore as his elbow hit the nearby boulder, but just shifted a little further from it, as Dorian was naked in his lap and they began to kiss again, finding each other by feel. As the mage squirmed to settle against him differently, the elf groaned, and slid a hand down to find his lover's prick, stroking along it with eager, adoring fingers and making the man cry out, kiss breaking apart with Dorian biting and sucking at Lyos' lower lip, then down his jaw and neck, straddling and moving hips to better allow rutting, muttering the familiar little charm that made the slide of flesh against flesh easier.


	3. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile...

“Ok Kid, looks like that little spirit guide Sparkler sent got bored, any ideas?”

“I can hear, not far- ahead and below, beside the water. He nearly died, so did he, so show they still live, soft and warm, skin sliding on stone, crushing and calling, bruises blossoming,” Cole got a more puzzled tone, “They're happy, but might hurt again later, there's nothing soft but each other.”

There was a long pause before the dwarf shook his head and chuckled.

“...Alright,  _clearly_ alive, then. Let's get back topside, get some others down here to help get down to them or get them back up here.”

“Should we tell them they're found? They were waiting to see if anyone would.”

“Sounds like they're busy, Kid, come on.”

“Why does everyone worry? It doesn't bother me, I just don't understand it all.”

“And that's why it embarrasses the rest of us  _for_ you.”

“I don't get it.”

“Hey, you're fine as you are, don't try too hard to get it. Let's get back into some sunlight and fetch the cavalry.”

“All right.”


	4. Relief

Fingers on each others' faces at times, fingers against lips, feeling the expressions that they could picture in their minds, familiar as they were from times when there was light. Taking advantage to suck on fingertips or the edge of a hand, sometimes, more often, hands lower, as they both groaned and muttered softly, making promises that were technically not theirs to make about not dying, not leaving each other.

Dorian's name echoed sharply against rocks when he grabbed his elven lover's hips and found his way to thrust in deeply, answering the man's invitation that had come with his promise. Lyos rocked into him, stroking himself with one hand, his other never leaving Dorian, fingers digging in, or tracing muscle feverishly wherever he could as he was curled against the ground. When the mage's thrusts began to hit just right, making him feel as if he was about to cry out too loudly for the darkness around them, he stopped pleasuring himself rather than let Dorian go, muffling himself against wrist or arm.

The warrior came first, but only by moments, the tightening of his body and the way he writhed into his lover making Dorian follow soon, and he didn't think or bother to try and quiet his own cry of relief, so that “ _Amatus”_ echoed like his own name once had before both of them fell quiet- not silent, but just breathing heavy and maybe murmuring, finding a comfortable and comforting way to lie tangled together and fall asleep for a time.

The rush of the nearby water over rock sometimes still disturbed them out of sleep or dreams- even later, back in the light, it wasn't a sound that either would consider 'soothing' for quite some time.


End file.
